A look back at the ups, downs and everything in between from a week in business.

I’ve decided to try something a little different with Glenn’s Notebook. Rather than focusing on one particular subject, I thought it might be interesting to share a few things from my working week. The good bits, the challenges, the conversations and the occasional moment when I wonder what on earth I’m doing!

And this week certainly gave me a few things to write about.

Well, That Was a Good Start!

Monday morning began with the realisation that I’d made a rather silly mistake. Before going on annual leave last week, I’d carefully written my out-of-office email response, explaining when I’d be returning and who clients could contact in my absence.

There was just one small problem. I’d forgotten to switch it on!

So, instead of everyone knowing I was away, I’d returned to a rather full inbox of emails from clients who were probably wondering why their usually responsive accountant had suddenly gone quiet.

Much of Monday was spent catching up, replying to messages and apologising for the delays. Thankfully, everyone was very understanding. A few clients even admitted they’d done exactly the same thing themselves, which made me feel slightly better!

It was a reminder that no matter how organised we think we are, we’re all human. Although I suspect I’ll be checking that little out-of-office button several times before my next holiday.

A Little Mentoring, and Being Mentored Myself

One of the highlights of the week was meeting a new mentoring client for our first session. We covered quite a few areas of their business, talked through some of the challenges they’re facing and started putting a framework in place for what we want to achieve together.

I always enjoy these initial conversations. There’s something rewarding about helping another business owner step away from the day-to-day pressures and start looking at where they want their business to go.

Interestingly, I also had my own coaching session this week. I genuinely look forward to these meetings, and this one was no exception.

We discussed my own business structure, future growth and a few other things that have been on my mind. Having somebody independent to challenge my thinking and ask questions I might not ask myself is incredibly valuable.

During our conversation, my coach said something that really stuck with me:

“If you don’t take the time to learn new things, you’ll still be doing the same things in a year’s time.”

It’s such a simple observation, but it got me thinking about how important personal development is, particularly when you’re running your own business.

It’s very easy to become so busy looking after everyone else that you forget to invest time in developing yourself.

Even Accountants Are Still Learning!

Another interesting meeting this week involved a client who needed help putting their tax affairs right after discovering that rental income from a property hadn’t been declared to HMRC for around ten years.

We discussed the disclosure process, how the outstanding tax would need to be calculated and the potential interest and penalties involved.

These aren’t always easy conversations, particularly when somebody is worried about what they might owe. But it was a positive meeting, and we now have a way forward.

What made this particularly interesting for me was that, although I’ve dealt with plenty of tax matters over the years, this was my first time handling this particular HMRC disclosure process.

It meant taking the time to understand the procedure properly and making sure everything would be dealt with correctly.

And do you know what? I enjoyed learning something new.

It also brought me straight back to what my coach had said earlier in the week. No matter how long you’ve been doing something, there’s always more to learn. I certainly don’t want to find myself doing exactly the same things in a year’s time simply because I haven’t made the effort to develop.

A Quiz Night for a Good Cause

It wasn’t all meetings and tax discussions this week.

I also attended a charity quiz night in Norwich in support of Thrive Autism, a local charity raising funds towards the development of a new centre in Poringland.

It was a lovely evening, spent in good company and supporting a cause that will hopefully make a real difference to local families.

I always enjoy these events. They’re a chance to step away from work for a few hours, meet people and support organisations doing important things in our communities.

And while I enjoy a quiz, I won’t pretend to know all the answers. Thankfully, there were other people on the team!

Ending the Week on a Positive Note

To finish the week, I received a referral from someone looking for a new accountant in the Cotswolds.

One of the things I enjoy about running a modern accountancy practice is that we’re no longer limited to working with businesses on our doorstep. Technology makes it perfectly possible to build good working relationships with clients much further afield.

During our conversation, it became clear that they weren’t particularly happy with the relationship they currently had with their accountant.

I always find that a little disappointing to hear. As accountants, we’re trusted with some of the most important aspects of people’s businesses, and I believe we should be doing everything we can to make our clients feel supported, valued and looked after.

It isn’t just about preparing accounts and filing tax returns. It’s about being available, communicating properly and helping people understand what’s happening in their business.

One thing that particularly interested them was the idea of meeting quarterly to review their accounts, discuss how the business is performing and plan ahead, rather than simply having a conversation once a year when the accounts are due.

Following our discussion, and with their permission, I put together a proposal outlining how we could work together.

I’m really looking forward to the possibility of welcoming them as a client, so fingers crossed!

So, What Have I Taken From This Week?

Looking back, it’s been quite a varied week. I started it apologising for an out-of-office message that never went out and ended it with the possibility of welcoming a new client.

In between, I’ve supported another business owner through mentoring, spent time working on my own business with my coach, learned something new about HMRC’s disclosure process and enjoyed an evening supporting a local charity.

But the thing that has stayed with me most is that comment from my coach about learning.

If we don’t make time to develop ourselves, how can we expect our businesses to develop?

It’s something I’m going to keep in mind over the coming weeks. We can become so focused on getting through our workload that we forget to look at what we could be doing differently or what we might need to learn.

And perhaps that’s my biggest takeaway from this week. Running a business isn’t just about what you achieve. It’s also about what you learn along the way.

As for the out-of-office message, well, that’s one lesson I certainly won’t forget in a hurry!

Until next time.